The fund that pays benefits to unemployed workers in Ohio is more than a billion dollars in debt to the federal government.

But there may be a fix in the works.

Most states borrowed from the feds to pay jobless benefits during the recession. Zach Schiller at the think tank Policy Matters Ohio has been studying this for years, and recently put out another warning about it.

“While we’ve reduced it somewhat, the natural financing of the unemployment system is not going to be enough to repay that debt, much less build a new reserve for the next recession,” Schiller says.

Schiller says this report is timed with the news that Republican Rep. Barbara Sears of northwest Ohio is planning to introduce legislation early next year that she says will bring in more revenue with a lower tax rate because of penalties being paid by employers.

Today, Ohioans can sign up on the new marketplace for health insurance called exchanges. But thousands of low income Ohioans would be eligible for Medicaid coverage instead if the state were to expand the program. Governor Kasich wants expansion. The legislature has, so far, not taken action.

Today, Ohioans can sign up on the new marketplace for health insurance called exchanges. But thousands of low income Ohioans would be eligible for Medicaid coverage instead if the state were to expand the program. Governor Kasich wants expansion. The legislature has, so far, not taken action. Still, the governor has some options.

Itâ€™s not every day that Republican Governor John Kasich and Democrats agree on issues but when it comes to the issue of expanding Medicaid to cover 275 thousand low income Ohioans, they agree. They do not agree on how that should be done. The Republican dominated legislature has not passed Medicaid expansion outright. Lawmakers want to reform the program instead but there isnâ€™t a plan in place right now to do that either. Democrats, like House Representative Denise Driehaus have been urging Governor Kasich to use whatâ€™s known as a discharge petition to force lawmakers to vote on the issue now and that hasnâ€™t happened either. She says constituents in her district are frustrated that Medicaid expansion hasnâ€™t happened.
“People simply donâ€™t understand and to be honest with you, I donâ€™t have a very good explanation as to why we are not getting this done and I told them I share their frustration,” says Driehaus.

Back in July, Governor Kasich said he still wants Medicaid expansion but was clear he doesnâ€™t think itâ€™s appropriate to use heavy handed tactics to get it.

“If I put people in a corner, I am unlikely to get what I want to help people who need help. Now if I just be persistent and pleasant and working on thisâ€¦..now, all options are on the table,” says Kasich.

Republican House Representative Barbara Sears explains one option. She, like Governor Kasich, wants Medicaid expansion. And she says one option to get it would be for Kasich to sign an executive order to expand Medicaid then take it to a legislative panel for approval.

“The legislature has given him that tool in previous budgets. So we gave him the opportunity to to do this by executive order so he does have the opportunity to do that. He does need to come back to the controlling board to fund but he wouldnâ€™t even need to do that right away,” says Sears.

But so far, Kasich hasnâ€™t given any public indication that he will issue an executive order to expand Medicaid. Neil Clark, who oversaw work on budgets for the Senate republican Caucus in the 80â€™s, says it wouldnâ€™t be unprecedented for a Governor to use an executive order for something like this.

“Those have been done numerous times through every Governorâ€™s administration. Those executive orders, of course, terminate at the end of his term so in the short term, an executive order would be a temporary solution to start Medicaid expansion in Ohio,” says Clark.

In fact, Clark says thereâ€™s a way that Ohio could get the money for Medicaid expansion even if the Governor doesnâ€™t issue an executive order. Clark says the Medicaid department could ask the controlling board for the federal money offered through Medicaid expansion.

“But the controlling board can take the 90% if it were in the form of a grant, they could take it in the form if there were suitable funds available to make that ten percent match that didnâ€™t increase the GRF appropriation or expenditure, you know what Iâ€™m saying there that it didnâ€™t increase the expenditure then I think they could easily take the money in the controlling board,” adds Clark.

Clark says that means if the agency could come up with the ten percent from within its own funds, the federal money could be put into the Medicaid program. At any rate, any action like this would require a seven day notice to the controlling board which hasnâ€™t been given yet. Meanwhile, legislative leaders whoâ€™ve been working on Medicaid expansion, including Representative Sears, say they will come out with a bill soon. But on October 1st when many Ohioans are starting to explore their options, low income Ohioans who would qualify for Medicaid expansion still wonâ€™t know theirs

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/10/01/medicaid-expansion-in-ohio-eludes-top-officials/feed/3Barbara Sears,Denise Driehaus,John KasichToday, Ohioans can sign up on the new marketplace for health insurance called exchanges. But thousands of low income Ohioans would be eligible for Medicaid coverage instead if the state were to expand the program. Governor Kasich wants expansion.Today, Ohioans can sign up on the new marketplace for health insurance called exchanges. But thousands of low income Ohioans would be eligible for Medicaid coverage instead if the state were to expand the program. Governor Kasich wants expansion. The legislature has, so far, not taken action.WOSU Newsno3:34